Never Bench Konerko

Is Konerko going to be productive for the rest of the season with the team situation & attitude? I need runs in my playoff battle. Iwamura seems to better fill that need in the chase for the flag?

Also is it time to drop Maine- put waiver claim for Kazmir, but I am number 10 in 10 team league.

Also what about Bedard? Is he going to be a viable option for the next 2 weeks?

Dave in Jerusalem

Dave,

As bad as the White Sox have been this year, I wouldn’t bench Konerko solely due to his lack of a supporting cast. He’s still on pace to hit 32 homers and drive in 85 for the season. Sure Konerko’s run total is low. But is Iwamura really the answer? This guy’s a corner infielder who possesses virtually no power. And his 71 runs scored is only marginally better than Konerko’s 61 runs. I’m not giving up Konerko’s home run and RBI ability for a slight increase in runs. Although adding Iwamura to help out in runs is fine, there’s gotta be another player on your roster who is less productive than Konerko!

In a 10 team league, feel free to drop Maine. I have no idea why Kazmir is on your league’s waiver wire, but adding the D-Rays’ ace would make for a huge upgrade. Either way, there should be better short term options available than Maine, who’s gone 2-4 with a 7.07 ERA since the beginning of August.

As for Bedard, his status for the rest of the season is up in the air. An MRI taken earlier this week revealed a strained oblique muscle, and even though Bedard says he wants to come back before the end of the month, the lowly Orioles can ill afford to mess around with his long term health. If he does return, obviously start him. On the other hand, don’t be surprised if the team decides to shut him down.

Meta

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